There are 2 types of smokers/vapers. There are those who have started and inevitably will stop at some point. Then, there are those who start and never stop. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re the type of person that will end up stopping the smoking or vaping. Maybe you’ve tried different brands of cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or e-liquids. You’ve tried different pod systems or maybe different tobacco blends in your pipe. Maybe you’ve smoked for years or decades, but you have probably had quick glimpses of the fact that, eventually, you’d like to stop. You probably will stop. The questions you may begin to ask yourself over time is: when & why? Here are some subconscious reasons you may believe you must continue.
1) Myth: You’ve believed it elevates your appearance or other's perceptions of you: You’ve been convinced its masculine or sexy: Remember, sex sells. It has for centuries. Whether it’s through advertising or from societal displays, cigar smoking and pipe smoking is perceived by the masses as a masculine activity. Cigarette smoking and vaping has been thought to bring out a sex appeal in women as well. For the longest time, it was a selling point that smoking would help women slim down. Men & women alike love the imagery of smoking.
The facts: Remember a belief is a thought rehearsed. You’ve worked to convince yourself that smoking or vaping is sexy. It’s a rehearsed thought you’ve turned into a belief. No one will force you to change that belief. However, at some point, something else will be more attractive; in addition to having a healthier or longer life. What have you been discounting?
Men: There are many status symbols outside of smoking! There are many masculine things to engage in such as taking care of your body, building muscle mass, eating well, showing self-control, caring for your spouse and/or your family, being an excellent provider in all different ways, & smelling appealing to your spouse or significant other at all other times outside of the brief aromatic moment of smoking.
Women: There are many ways to be feminine and evoke allure with your appearance. Caring for your health, enjoying make up, perfumes, essential oils, fashion, dress, dressing to enhance the features that you, or your spouse, love about yourself, acting & behaving in ways that bring out your femininity to attract your mate and/or husband. In terms of nicotine helping slim, It may have a tendency to be an appetite suppressant, but at a costly disadvantage. It also may have a tendency to soften/weaken the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach; which may lead to increased heartburn.
2) Myth: You've believed it was beneficial in regards to societal norms and fitting in: You’ve been convinced it’s ‘cool’ or that you’ll fit in with friends or family. While many smokers & vapers start off this way, it is traditionally an isolated behavior: far more so than drinking. People have engaged in the behavior as a pass time or as a social fixture to be centered around just as alcohol, coffee, mealtime, teatime etc.
The facts: It has been suggested by some, that people are far more likely to stop if friends or family around them choose to stop. Birds of a feather flock together, as the old saying goes. Like any addictive tendency, we eventually find out it is about us and what we subconsciously think we are needing from the substance or the behavior. In a friend group or family group of nicotine users, someone will eventually stop due to health concerns or other reasons. This can be a domino effect at times. Yes, it can cause you to feel like a social pariah and that is often enough reason to quit. Remember; everyday a new smoker/vaper is born and, every day, somewhere else, a smoker/vaper is engaging in the behavior for the last time.
3) Myth: You’ve believed it improves stress or that you get relief from smoking/vaping: You’ve convinced yourself that it’s relaxing and meditative. The nicotine delivery experience has been described as calming, relieving and is often associated with taking a break from the stress of life. This is where the behavior is perceived as a “pleasure,” ritualistic, or even needed. This pleasure phase ALWAYS has a life span with an expiration date. Some people’s pleasure expiration date is longer than others before it returns to being a PAIN.
The facts: Nicotine is vasoconstricting and has a tendency to constrict and harden the cardio vascular system which, in turn, exacerbates anxiety and stress and can bring on disease and illness. The real reason people feel they are more relaxed or meditative is far simpler than they’d consciously think: it’s because you are taking a break from stress and breathing deeply. In modern western culture, we breath shallowly and do not exercise our diaphragm to its full capacity. Vaping and smoking forces deep breathing and, in turn, emulates the semblance of relaxation. The brain is, yet again, creating a belief system that will eventually prove false. Nicotine is also a stimulant. Like other stimulants, there is a brief buzz/high followed by a crash and desire for more of the substance. More is often required and desired as well, to chase that first seemingly pleasurable experience. The brain, mind, will and emotions are super-imposing the belief about relaxation, breathing and taking a break. We can increase relaxation in ways that bring health like exercise, stretching, body work, tai chi, yoga, running, walking, swimming, self-hypnosis, meditation, hot/cold therapies, acupuncture/acupressure, prayer, reading, breathwork, talk therapy to resolve root issues, clinical hypnotherapy for brain training & motivation and countless others.
If you’ve read this point, and you are a smoker/vaper, you are that much closer to being smoke free! Sometimes, people choose hypnotherapy as a last resort because any addictive tendency hates the idea of accountability or an inevitable ending. It is also one of the most helpful & healthy ways to stop because it is tailor made for the individual, their personality and all of their unique life experiences and belief systems that led them to smoke/vape. This new year can be a true new year for you if you are ready to stop for good. Congratulations in advance and cheers to your holistic health!
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